


Domestic Bliss

by Bulletproof_love



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Depression, Domestic, Domestic Bliss, Domestic Fluff, Emotional Hurt, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Everyone Needs A Hug, F/M, Friendship/Love, Honesty, Hurt/Comfort, Laughter, Love, Mild Hurt/Comfort, References to Depression, Talking, True Love, Truth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-30
Updated: 2018-09-30
Packaged: 2019-07-20 17:25:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16141973
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bulletproof_love/pseuds/Bulletproof_love
Summary: Peter and Anita have a few moments of domestic bliss before he asks her for the truth.





	Domestic Bliss

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to tobeconspicuous for being a truly wonderful beta.
> 
> All mistakes are my own.

The stench of burnt toast was the first thing that hit Anita when she woke up that morning. The harsh scent assaulted her senses causing her to roll onto her side groggily and open her eyes. 

Already she could hear Peter’s string of curses from the opposite side of the bedroom door and she couldn’t help but smile at the normalcy of it all. She had missed this, the chaotic mornings and the quiet ones too, she didn’t  realize how much until now.

3…

2…

1…

The shriek of the fire alarm erupted from the kitchen, resounding through the apartment as expected. She could hear Peter swearing even louder as he clattered around. Already Anita was slipping from beneath the sheets and  rising to her feet. The hem of Peter’s grey t-shirt trailing across her  bare thighs as she strode to the bedroom door and tugged it open. 

Upon entering the kitchen, she was greeted with the image of her husband standing underneath the fire alarm in the centre of the room, a mop clasped in his left hand as he tried to jab at the button above him unsuccessfully. He muttered incoherently under his breath as he poked at the shrieking device once more.

Anita couldn’t help but laugh. She could feel the hilarity of the situation rolling through her as she watched from the doorway. Peter caught her gaze, his own smile  playing at his lips.

“A little help?”  He requested, his gaze returning to the flashing red LED on the fire alarm him.

Anita took the mop from his outstretched hand before poking the handle into the reset button. 

The relief from the noise was instantaneous, the sudden silence a welcome reprieve in the midst of the chaos. Anita replaced the mop back in the tall cupboard alongside the stove before surveying the carnage.  The blackened bread that Peter had been toasting was still lightly smoking in their chrome toaster . On the counter nearby was a bowl of half mixed eggs amongst the debris that was scattered upon the shiny surface. 

“I was trying to make you breakfast ,” he explained, gesturing to the mess.

Beside him the coffee maker churned, indicating it was close to completing the blend. It took a moment for her to fully comprehend what had happened here 

“If you finish off the coffee ,  I’ll carry on with the eggs.” Anita said kindly, grabbing the toast from the toaster and tossing it into the bin. 

The expression on Peter’s face brightened as he moved to the cupboard above the coffeemaker, opening it with one hand before selecting her favorite mug ; a white mug with rainbow colored unicorns on it that Carisi had given her for Secret Santa.  He followed suit with his own Chicago Cubs one. 

“Are we going to talk about why you handed your badge in last night?” Peter asked quietly.

Anita set the bowl of eggs back down on the counter before turning to face her face her husband so that he could read the expression on her features. She had been dancing around it since last night,  t hey would have to talk about the elephant in the room. There were things that she had been keeping from Peter, personal things and now it was time to put everything out on the table. 

It was hard to admit that she wasn’t coping, that she hadn’t been coping for a while. To her it was humiliating, shameful even and she found it hard to form the words even if it was to Peter, the man who understood her more than anyone.  

“I was drowning.” She told him abruptly, swallowing hard once again against the vicious ache in her chest. “I couldn’t eat and when I slept I saw him…”

They both knew who she was talking about, the boy in the freezer, Hernando Sanchez.

“You know what it did to me ,” she said quietly, tilting her head away so that he couldn’t see that her eyes were stinging with tears. “What it’s still doing to me.”

Peter stepped forward, his left arm wrapping around his wife’s lithe shoulders so that he could guide her into the shelter of his loving form. It killed him to see how badly Anita was hurting inside, how she had struggled to hide it for months until it had all become too much. 

“I need you Peter.” She told him, her face buried in the curve of his throat, her lips ghosting across his skin as she held onto him tightly. “You’re the only one that makes me like I’m walking on solid ground. I need you in my corner to help pick me up because I can’t do this by myself. I’ve tried, and I just can’t.”

“Ani…” Peter whispered that sweet nickname against her hairline tenderly.  “You’ll always have me, and I will do everything in my power to help you get through this. I promise you that.”

  
  



End file.
